Former Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger admitted taking a photo of the bedding in the city's Carlton Hotel alongside the room key following the alleged rape. He attempted to delete the image after being arrested.

She described him as "Nile Ripper", "an animal" and "predator" in texts sent to him in five days before.

But, giving evidence for the first time today, he told the jury: "I am nothing like Jack the Ripper."

Ranger claimed the allegation made against him last January had ended his career at Newcastle United.

He has been accused of being a "sex pest" who pursued his victim in an exchange of 1060 texts before the alleged sex attack.

The jury heard the player - now at Swindon Town - had a number of previous convictions including robbery, handling stolen goods and assaulting police officers.

He described having sex twice with his alleged victim and said it was consensual. "We had sex, the first time in a few positions," he told the court.

"I don't know how to say this but I come, I ejaculated the first time and then I fell asleep. I remember waking up and then tapping her and we had sex again.

"I remember her leaving in the morning."

He admitted taking a photo of the bedding, but said: "It was wrong, I don't know what I was thinking of.

"I was shocked when I was arrested for rape. I know I'm not a rapist, so I was shocked by it."

The arrest in January last year had prevented him making a loan move from Newcastle United to Hull City. "I was literally packing my bags to go there," he said. "At the time I was not getting any love or first team action from Newcastle.

"I got arrested and it was all over the media, and they cut the move.

"My contract at Newcastle was then terminated... the arrest was one of the reasons."

After the alleged attack, Ranger had one phone taken off him at the police station but kept another phone, containing the image, on his person, the jury heard.

It also contained photos of the victim dancing from the night of the alleged attack and an image of the two of them together.